welcome to the world, baby
by aceanx
Summary: She had been so sure that her mom exaggerated the pain of labour on the countless times over the course of her pregnancy that they talk about it. She's sure that her mother's description of having a baby is like "that alien from Alien ripping through your stomach to come into the world and slither away" must be an exaggeration.


She had been so sure that her mom exaggerated the pain of labour on the countless times over the course of her pregnancy that they talk about it. She's sure that her mother's description of having a baby is like "that alien from Alien ripping through your stomach to come into the world and slither away" must be an exaggeration.

Well, Rory doesn't exactly describe it as an Alien-type scenario, but it's not pleasant. It doesn't even start off that bad either. It's mostly light cramping for the first few hours. She's uncomfortable every fifteen minutes but she's able to work on her novel in between going shopping with her mom, and getting the paper out for the Gazette. It's only in the late afternoon with Lane and Zach when she feels less uncomfortable and more discomfort. It's like a low throbbing ache with sharp sudden pains every once in a while.

"You're in labor, my friend. I remember those pains too well," Lane says, grimacing. Zach frowns at her as they help Rory up.

"How do you remember those pains? It's been a decade!" Zach asks. Lane shoots her husband a very prominent death glare.

"It sticks with you, my friend. You never forget that type of pain, which is why we only have two kids," she mutters darkly that makes Rory laugh after her contraction ends and her water breaks.

.-.

Rory's painful contractions start when she gets to the hospital. Her grandmother, of all people, arrives at the hospital first, minutes before mom and Luke. Rory had forgotten that her grandmother is in the city for the week. When they come in, Emily Gilmore is already berating the nurses for not having Rory comfortable or doted upon for this extremely painful process.

About an hour later, her doctor comes in to inform her that she's two centimeters dilated and this could be a long night.

She really isn't kidding when she says that. She's in labour for hours. Every time she tries to get comfortable, another contraction hits and she's forced to readjust her position and give up on resting for too long.

.-.

It's about seven in the morning when Logan arrives. He looks disheveled and exhausted as if he hadn't slept in over a day, but Rory's happy that she called him the previous afternoon, before her water broke. She knows that she would have regretted it if he missed the birth.

"Sorry I couldn't get here sooner," he says but she shakes her head at him. She knows he wanted to be here for this.

"Please, I think you got here quite quickly. My mom said that you'd be exactly one hour late. Lane said you'd be three. I had you pegged as an hour early," she tells him. She winces as another contraction hits. Maybe opting against drugs is a bad idea.

Logan doesn't waste time in sitting in the empty chair and taking her hand until the pain passes. It only takes a minute but she finally relaxes as she looks at him.

"You look exhausted," she comments finally. It's been a couple of months since she has last seen him. It's hard to even Skype him nowadays. "How's London?"

"It's fine. I'm fine," he tells her, even if she doesn't quite believe him. She's pretty sure it has to do with his family. She knows how hard she's made things on him since Logan told his family about the baby. She can only imagine the pressure that is on his shoulders to live up to the Huntzberger name. "I'm more worried about you, Ace."

She really does like that nickname. She doesn't think her heart will ever stop fluttering at it. She nods, glancing down at their hands. Sometimes, it's hard to admit that they're not together anymore. She looks back up at him.

"Well, we're about to have a baby, so I'd say things will look better in a couple of hours. I hope it's a couple of hours," Rory tells him. Logan's free hand goes to her stomach. He's one of the very few to touch it without permission. She has snapped at more than a few people the last couple of months who try to touch her stomach.

The moment doesn't last long as another contraction hits. She cries out, her hand gripping Logan's as she jolts up a bit. Logan looks a little lost, but her mom comes in just at the right time and she hurries over to Rory's side, coaching her through her breathing.

"Inhale, one, two, three. Now exhale," she tells her. Rory waits, concentrating on her breathing until the contraction passes.

"Son of a bitch, that hurts," she hisses as she works to catch her breath. Her mom nods, running a hand through her sticky hair.

"I know. It's almost over and then you'll be holding Baby Gilmore," she tells her. Logan nods, his eyes glancing at her mom before back at Rory.

.-.

Baby Gilmore is born on June 1st at 11:34am. It's a tough hour of pushing and crying out in pain. Her mom and Logan are the ones in the delivery room with her. There's a lot of coaching and comfort from both ends and endless talks about holding her beautiful baby until she finally hears a tiny cry. She lets out a strangled gasp as she leans back into the bed, feeling the sweat dripping down her face. Her eyes are closed as she works to catch her breath, finding herself utterly exhausted.

She's ready to see and hold her baby. She can't wait to be able to coddle her in her arms and touch her little tiny fingers. Then the doctor says the next words.

"Congratulations, Rory. It's a boy."

"A boy?" she asks, her eyes popping open as she scans the room until she finds the screaming baby in the nurse's arms. Logan looks just as surprised as he sputters something. But her mom has a different look on her face, as if she knew.

Rory had been so sure it would be a girl as well. She thought that she had that gut feeling from the moment she went to her first ultrasound. It's why her and Logan agreed to just wait until the baby was born to have it confirmed. Both felt like it would be a girl. Luke had a feeling. Her own grandmother was so sure it would be a girl, she already bought all girls clothes. Actually, it's only Lorelai Gilmore, her dear old mother, who kept her from painting the nursery pink or buying Barbies.

"But we…I had a feeling. He's not a girl? But, we're Gilmores. We're supposed to have girls," Rory breathes out. Her mom just smiles as she kisses her daughter's forehead.

"It's alright, Rory. You two have a beautiful baby boy. You have a boy," she whispers in her daughter's ear. Beside her, Logan squeezes her hand as his eyes are firmly on his son being assessed by the nurses.

.-.

Rory has some time to recuperate and get over the shock that her gut feeling about her child had been wrong. The first person to see her other than her mom and Logan is her grandmother. Deep down, Rory is grateful that her grandmother is first. She can get her visit over and done with, as she knows it will be somewhat stressful.

Of course it is. Emily Gilmore isn't afraid to rant about having to buy baby boy stuff.

"I don't even know how to shop for a boy!" her grandmother complains as she stands at the edge of Rory's bed. Beside her, her mother makes a tiny noise of exasperation. Rory just smiles as her eyes keep on her ranting grandmother. "Shopping for Richard was one thing. God knows that man didn't want to wear anything but a suit with his bowties, but he trusted my judgment enough to wear something other than a black suit to the Gilmore name. But a baby boy? Boys are messy enough as it is!"

"Well, why don't you just buy him a baby three-piece suit?" her mother quips. Rory can see the smile hidden on her face. Her grandmother stops in her rant, turning to her own daughter with an incredulous look, as if she is trying to figure out whether she is serious or not. "It would be super cute. 'Hey world, look out for the classiest baby in the whole state of Connecticut."

Rory almost lets out a laugh as she chimes in with, "And how cute would he look in a bowtie? A tiny red baby bowtie."

She is pretty sure her grandmother is only 10% amused and 90% irritated. She does see a twinkle in her grandmother's eyes, as if she's considering it.

"Like I said, Lorelai," her grandmother says, her tone sharp as Rory sees that she goes for a different reaction, "babies are messy. I'll have to find clothes that will allow for messes to be cleaned up."

Rory watches as her mother's shoulders slump a bit. She knows her grandmother can be a handful, but Rory is grateful for that. A year ago, her grandmother could barely get out of bed after her grandfather's death. Now, she's lucky to be almost back to her self, but she's also changed. Rory likes the change in her grandmother. She doesn't snap on Lorelai as often as she used to. In fact, both have a better functioning relationship. It's nice to see.

A couple of years ago, her grandmother would have probably accused her mom of being the reason for Rory having a boy instead of a girl. Her mom would have argued back, probably criticizing her grandmother in some form, and Rory would have had to listen to it and be the mediator.

Life is much less stressful with the Gilmores now.

"Grandma, whatever you buy him, he'll be lucky to wear," Rory chimes in. Her grandmother turns to her and a slight smile crawls on her face. There's also something else, almost like a change in the way she's looking at them. She can't quite place what it is.

"Your grandfather would have enjoyed having a young boy in the family," she finally says and Rory's heart pings in sadness. Beside her, she can feel her mother tense up. Mentions of Richard Gilmore are always hard. "He would already be planning out his future in accounting or to take over his own business."

Rory laughs a bit through her tear-filled eyes. She can almost picture her grandfather in the room with them, a smile on his face. He really would be proud.

Her grandmother finally leaves a couple minutes later to place phone calls to order some more baby clothes. Before she leaves, she cannot help but add in one final comment toward Rory, to her surprise.

"I swear if you name this poor child Lorelai, I will ensure that my great-grandson's trust fund will only be accessible through me or your mother!"

Her mom can't help but laugh for a solid two minutes at Rory being the one reprimanded by Emily Gilmore.

.-.

Luke's the one with Rory when Baby Gilmore is finally brought in after check ups for Rory to hold. Her mom is at the Inn to deal with an emergency while Logan is catching up on his missed sleep at the Gilmore House.

Holding her newborn son is even greater than she expects. He's so small, she notes when he's put into her arms. She can't believe how tiny he is. She's held babies before; she got to hold Steve and Kwan right from birth, and she had been there for Paris and Doyle's second child's birth. But this child is hers and he's the most perfect baby she's ever seen. He's asleep in her arms and she finds it hard not to wake him. All she wants to do is stare at his eyes. She wants to see everything about him that makes him a Gilmore and a Huntzberger. Does he have Logan's eyes or hers? Will he take after Logan's charming smile? Does he have her dimples?

When she hears a ding coming from Luke, she glances over to see him glancing at his phone. Thank goodness her mom actually gets him a good phone for Christmas. Now she doesn't have to watch him be five years outdated. Luke glances up at her, waving his phone.

"That's your mom. She says that she's going to be stuck a little while longer but if you need anything from the house, just let her know," Luke explains. Rory's smile softens as she feels baby Gilmore shift in her arms. She shakes her head, glancing down at him.

"Tell her I have everything I need right here," she says. She pauses for a minute. "He's just so…" she struggles to find a word to describe her new son.

"Squishy?" Luke supplies dryly. She glances up at him just as his expression changes to something of regret.

"I was going to say small," she admits. She pauses before reassuring her step-father that squishy is an accurate word too.

Luke moves his chair slightly closer so he can reach out and touch the sleeping newborn. He seems to be doing it very carefully; Rory wonders if he's afraid to wake him up. To be honest, she's terrified of it as well, even though the nurse had assured her that newborns can sleep through a lot until they're hungry.

She can see the curiosity and wonder on Luke's face. She knows that he's wanted another kid besides April. She knows that he's missed out on a lot with raising a kid.

"Do you want to hold him?" she finally asks. Luke looks at her, surprised by the question but he shakes his head. He looks visibly uncomfortable.

"No, it's ok," he says. She can read her step-father like a book. She's gotten quite good at it, as if it isn't hard. As Rory stares at him in confusion, he shifts in his chair before continuing. "I'm not good with babies."

Rory can't help it. She feels a laugh coming and she struggles to hold it in. "What do you mean?" she asks. Luke's eyes shift before he sits up at the edge of the chair. "You've held babies before."

"Not in a long time. You know, I only really held Doula and that was a struggle in itself because she was always shifting and crying, and I really only held her two times when I had to. Babies are unpredictable, you know? You never know what you're going to get when you hold them. You don't know whether they're going to just fall asleep right in your arms and then you're stuck, not sure whether you should keep holding them to keep them asleep or pass them off to another person so you don't get stuck for hours with a baby cramping your arms! Or they might get in your arms and just start wailing. They just wail and wail because they don't like you and you get this sense of fear and confusion until they're in someone else's arms and they just stop, and then you're left wondering if it's you and not the baby," Luke rants. Rory can't help but laugh softly.

He continues for another full minute about babies, and she just listens. It's a very nice distraction from her own worries. She feels calm and tired and happy all at the same time. And when Luke finally stops, Rory leans forward to place the baby in his arms anyway.

He's stunned for a moment, but he can't do a thing as he looks at the sleeping baby. Rory turns on her side as she just watches. The look of fear seems to slowly disappear from his face until a small, loving smile replaces it.

Oh yeah, he's going to be a fine grandfather.

.-.

Paris isn't able to come visit Rory and the baby while they're in the hospital. Her and Doyle are dealing with divorce papers in Los Angeles. Paris has to fly from New York to LA since Doyle is "too wrapped up in his own egoism to deal with family affairs", according to Paris. Doyle defends himself as he explains the importance of his new screenplay being sold to Steven Spielberg.

Paris ends up Skyping in from Doyle's LA apartment, her children playing in the background. Paris spends the first few minutes cooing at the baby and explaining to Rory how genetically proportionate Baby Gilmore will end up being because of Rory and Logan. She doesn't even know what that means, but she just nods and listens.

"What kinds of activities are you getting him into?" Paris asks. Rory opens her mouth, surprised at the question. "Because it's never too early to start planning for your child's future. Getting him into enriching activities will open doors for him in the future, much like it had for me. I have my kids in various activities in hopes that they can use it to their advantage for when they finally apply to Harvard or Yale or whatever Ivy League school they wish to go to," Paris explains. "Plus, our kids can actually get involved in an activity together."

"Paris," Rory interrupts as her baby shift and opens his eyes. His mouth opens and interrupts the conversation instead. Her mom graciously swoops in to take the baby so they can continue their conversation. "That sounds like a plan, except for the fact that my baby is not even a day old and yours are at least two years older. Do you really think they'd want to hang out with each other?"

"First off, they're two and four, not twelve and twenty-eight," she points out. She looks exasperated as she lets out a breath. "And secondly, I think that we can close the age gap here, so your issues can be addressed."

It takes Rory a full minute to understand what Paris is getting at (her brain is still fuzzy from giving birth earlier that day). Her eyes widened.

"Wait, you're pregnant? With Doyle's?" Rory asks, her voice rising in surprise. Paris nods. "Wait, how long?"

"I'm four months along," Paris confirms. A small smile appears on the blonde's face. Now that Rory knows, she does notice a difference in Paris. "I found out a couple of months ago. It's why there's a delay in the divorce. Ever since Doyle found out, he just doesn't want to let the divorce go through. Apparently it's given him an epiphany and he wants to be there for all the kids, but he also won't fix all the issues that we've been having, so we're at a stalemate." Paris rolls her eyes.

"Paris, that's really great. Not about the Doyle thing, but the pregnancy thing," Rory congratulates her best friend. She remembers Paris telling her back in college that her dream included three kids so she's well on her way to achieving it.

"It's a lot of stress, you know? And our nanny quit last week without notice and it's been tough trying to find one, hence," Paris says as she waves her hand toward the kids in the background. Rory offers a sympathetic smile.

"Well, maybe it's your chance to raise these kids right, you know? Be there for them and be the mom that they need," Rory suggests. Her and Paris have had this similar talk since Paris had her first child and hired a nanny. She's known Paris for far too long to know that Paris suffered a bit from being raised by nannies.

Usually, Paris snaps at her at this point, but this time around has her silent.

"I just need to get through this divorce and have Doyle finish the damn paperwork. I swear I am not leaving here until he does it," Paris says. Rory knows that this won't be the case. There's a reason why the divorce has been ongoing for well almost two years. Something suddenly crashes behind Paris and she turns.

"Hey! I told you if you want to break any of your father's stuff to wait until I'm done!" she calls out to her kids, her voice sharp. Rory stifles a laugh as Paris turns back to the camera, her children laughing in the background. "Sorry Rory, I have to go deal with my kids. But I'll talk to you when I get back. Hopefully divorced," Paris says. Rory nods as she waves as they both sign off.

.-.

Lane pops by right after dinner. Sookie and Michel have just left, leaving Rory to rest up. Sookie's been in talks to return to the Dragonfly, which has made her mom extremely happy and Michel has just finished talking about his adopted five year old, which he not so loving refers to him as his demon child. Rory doesn't bother to sit up as Lane carries a bag with her. She sets it in front of Rory.

"So, I wanted to be the first to give Baby Gilmore a present. Please tell me nobody else has," Lane asks. Rory shakes her head. She knows presents are probably already at the Gilmore house, but Lane is the first to actually bring one.

"If you don't count flowers, then yes" she tells her. Rory opens the present and smiles as she pulls out the familiar book.

"Remember when we read that in kindergarten? We met through this book," Lane tells her. Rory nods, completely speechless as she fingers the copy of _If You Give a Mouse a Cookie._ She opens the front cover to recognize the scrawls of both girls' handwriting all those years ago. She looks up at her best friend.

"This is our copy," she remembers, her voice already choked. Lane nods, tears sprung to her own eyes.

"My mom found it somewhere in the house and gave it to me when I had the boys. They read it but they never quite enjoyed it. So, we all agreed in our household to give it to you and Baby," Lane tells her. Rory is overcome with emotion, unsure of how to even thank her. So, she just reaches over and wraps Lane in a hug.

No words are spoken between the girls. Frankly, no words are even needed. It is quite possibly the best gift that Rory is ever given, and it's not even really for her. Lane finally pulls away after a couple of minutes.

"Baby's going to love it," Rory tells her. Lane nods, smiling.

"I know. Oh yeah, by the way, what is Baby's name?" Lane asks, as if just remembering. Rory blinks. "I mean, Baby's cute and all but I highly doubt that's going to be his name."

Rory takes a moment before shrugging. "Honestly, Logan and I were so certain of the baby being a girl that we never actually picked out a boy's name," she admits. It's not like they didn't consider boy names, but it had never been decided between the two of them. "We have to talk about it tomorrow."

Lane nods in understanding. "When we had the boys, Zach actually suggested that we name both Zach and Lane. It took me a bit to convince him otherwise."

Rory remembers Lane telling her that. She finds it amusing every time.

"Well, whatever his name is, I'm sure it'll be perfect," she says. Rory knows that it will be too.

.-.

Rory spends much of the night unable to sleep. Her brain is running through all sorts of names for the baby. Logan and her briefly discussed it before they both fell asleep, but neither of them could really decide on a name. They both have their choices of names, but it's hard for them to agree. The first of many co-parenting decisions, ones that they'll have to get used to compromising on.

Rory's up early and in the nursery when Jess arrives from Philadelphia. She's left Logan in the room to sleep.

"The nurse told me that you were here," Jess explains as he steps into the room. Rory smiles when she sees him there. If she has to be honest, she didn't think that he would come until maybe next week. She hasn't seen him since she told him that she was pregnant. Luke told her that Jess got really busy at Truncheon but Rory is not quite sure if that's the entire truth. Either way, he's here and she's happy that he's here.

Jess moves into the room, taking the other chair and pulling it close to Rory and the sleeping baby.

"So, this is him," he comments. Rory nods, holding him up a bit. Jess takes a look at the both of them for a few seconds, as if analyzing them both. "He looks like you."

"He's not even twenty four hours old, Jess. I think it's hard to tell who he looks like," Rory points out. Jess shrugs. "Besides, if he looks like anyone, he looks like Logan."

Jess squints his eyes at the baby for a second. "Nah, I don't see it." Rory doesn't know how to respond and she's too exhausted to think of anything to say, so she just sticks her tongue out. "Very mature. I'm sure he'll take after you in no time."

Rory leans back in the chair. The exhaustion of the last couple of days is catching up to her. She's not surprised when Jess notices it and takes the sleeping baby out of her arms so that she doesn't drop him. He looks visibly uncomfortable holding the baby as he tries to adjust his position, but he doesn't put him down.

"So, how are you?" Jess asks after a couple of minutes. Rory takes a few seconds to think about her answer.

"Tired, mostly. But really happy. I'm just surprised to have a boy. Everyone had this baby pegged to be a girl," Rory answers honestly. She knows she can always be honest with Jess. "You know, I just expected to have a girl. Logan and I had decided on the name. Lorelai Rose Gilmore." Jess' mouth twitches upward at the name.

"Hold on. You were going to name her Lorelai?" Jess asks in amusement. Rory nods, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Don't you say another word. It's a family tradition we were going to keep up. We were going to call her Lori," she defends herself. Jess just stares at her. "Logan thought it was cute to have a family tradition!"

"Ok, ok, it's none of my business!" Jess finally says. She imagines that if he didn't have Baby, he would have thrown his hands up in the air. "But what, you can't still name him Lorelai?"

"Of course not. I think he would resent me in a few years," Rory admits. Jess nods in agreement. Rory sighs. She runs a hand through her hair, suddenly noting how greasy it feels. Right; she hasn't taken a shower in days and she's been in labour and pushing out a baby for most of that time.

"So, you and Logan didn't get a chance to decide on a boy's name?" he asks. Rory thinks about how to answer this question.

"No, not really. We never really could decide on a boy's name. You know what kinds of names Logan wants? Names like Leopold and Lachlan. Who names their child Lachlan anyway?" Rory asks. Jess bites back the smile he's forming on his face. "He's naming all of these vastly unique names because he wants our child to be unique, like the both of us, but he's choosing too obscure names."

"And what are your suggestions?" Jess asks. He sits back with the baby, who looks quite content in his sleeping form.

"Well, I did think about Richard but I'm not quite sure, you know? I'd love to honour my grandfather but it is 2018. How many kids with names like Xavier and Peter are going to want to play with another kid named Richard? It seems like an old-fashioned name, you know?" Rory explains. Jess purses his lips in thought. "I feel bad for thinking it because my grandfather was a wonderful man, but I just don't know if I see him as a Richard."

"You know you could always give him a nickname. Although I'm sure plenty of kids would probably be happy to call him Dick," Jess asks with a sly smile. Rory just shakes her head. If she had something to throw at him and if Baby wasn't in his arms, she would. "Well, you'll find a way to honour Richard through this baby. A name doesn't necessarily have to be the answer."

"I know. I just really wanted it to," she murmurs. She knows if she tells her grandmother, she would be so disappointed. She knows her expectation of the baby being named Richard, or at least her hope. The newest Gilmore addition shifts in Jess' arms and they both look down on him. Rory can't help but smile as his little arms flail in his sleep and she looks up to see Jess' wonderment. She doesn't think she's ever seen him look like this before. He looks at peace. It's nice.

"Well, you just have to find a name that you think suits this little guy. I actually think you already know what name," Jess says as he looks at her. Rory frowns, taken aback by his answer.

"I do? I think I would know if I knew his name," Rory tells him. Jess shrugs, adjusting his position in his chair once more.

"One of the many things I know about you, Rory Gilmore, is that you know exactly what you want. I think you know deep down the perfect name for him," he tells her. Rory just shakes her head at him, perplexed.

"You maybe want to give me a hint here, Mariano?" she asks. She rarely calls him by his last name, mostly because it's weird to her that he has his biological father's last name when he's clearly more of a Danes than a Mariano. Jess shrugs, passing her back her baby. She scoops him up, coddling him as her eyes stay on her step-cousin.

"Well, you said that you want to honour your grandfather, right? You just have to search for a name that fits this one and relates to him. Maybe someone that he liked, or his middle name, or maybe a name your grandfather liked," Jess suggests. His phone buzzes just then and the conversation pauses as Jess takes out his phone. He stands up as Rory looks up at him.

"Leaving so soon?" she asks. Jess nods.

"It's Luke. He wants to know when I get in because he has some sort of emergency at the diner," Jess explains. Rory frowns, glancing at her watch.

"Wait, it's 7am-"

"I took the night train," he explains. Rory had no idea that trains ran that late. "I'll be back later to see you two."

Rory nods as she stands up, being careful with the baby as they hug. It's nice; she hasn't actually hugged him in a long time. His hugs might be the best hugs she's ever received. Her mom's hugs are great but these hugs are different. They're rare but genuine. He smiles at her as he pulls away.

"It's good to see you, Rory," he tells her as he moves toward the door. He pauses just before he gets there. He glances at her with that stupidly rare Jess smile. She knows it doesn't get shown around a lot of people. "You look great."

Now she knows he's lying. She laughs. "I look awful. I went through twenty full hours of labour and haven't taken a shower yet."

Jess laughs a bit, waving his hand. "Well, for someone who just went through possibly the toughest few days of her life, you look great. You always do," he tells her before he disappears and her heart flutters.

.-.

Logan gets a call from his father that very afternoon, just as Rory is signing her release papers. Everything is about ready to go, baby included. Luke and Lorelai have gone to get Rory's new car, courtesy from Emily Gilmore ("now that you have a child, you are going to need a proper car for that child. And unlike your mother's refusal when you were born, you will accept this car and use it").

Rory's done with the paperwork and handing it to the nurse when Logan comes back in. His face has a twinge of annoyance and anger. Rory can guess that it's about his father. Even after all these years, she knows they will never properly get along, even if they've made progress in the last decade.

"What is it, Logan?" she asks. She stands up from the bed, glad to stretch her legs, as she walks over to him. He's putting his cellphone back in his pocket as he lets out a frustrated sigh. He's trying to put on a smile, but she knows better.

"My father," he starts off slowly. Logan seems a bit out of it as he seems to try to shake off the conversation. He's staring at the nurse who comes in with the baby in her arms. "He's telling me that I'm needed home. I need to fly out tonight."

Rory thinks it's a joke at first. Logan's face says otherwise. She just shakes her head, glancing at the time. "It's barely five, though. Can't it wait?" she asks. She's not surprised that Mitchum would be like this. Logan takes a deep breath, running a hand through his hair.

"Not according to him. It's a work thing that apparently has to be dealt with tomorrow by me," he answers slowly. Logan moves to take the baby out of the nurse's arm. Once he does, Rory can see him visibly relax. It's actually kind of sweet. "There's a flight at 7:30 that I can catch. He's already called ahead to the airline to get me on it."

"I cannot believe that man," Rory grumbles. She is more than pissed off. Logan barely gets to hold his son before he's being whisked off by the Huntzberger family. "Just tell him no. Tell him you have family obligations to attend to. He can wait. Work can wait. You have a son now."

Logan doesn't look up at Rory. His eyes are down on the littlest Gilmore and Rory realizes with a startling gasp that he's also a Huntzberger. He's not just a Gilmore, as easy as it is to forget with their arrangement. She can see her ex boyfriend's eyes welling up. He looks like he's in visible pain. Maybe as easy as she thinks it is to stay, it doesn't seem easy for him.

"I want to stay," he admits. His finger is tracing over the baby's skin and Rory can't help but feel her heart go out to him, but also to herself. She wraps her arms around herself. He's a Huntzberger. Things aren't that easy. He finally looks up at her, just shaking his head as he tries to smile. "But I _can't_ ".

Rory will never fully understand, but she can't really blame him. Things are complicated, at least more complicated than with her father.

"I really wish you could. For him," she admits. He nods, looking down at the little boy in his arms. Rory moves toward him slowly, seeing the resemblance forming between the two. The newborn has his eyes open as he fusses.

"I'm going to try to find a way to be here," Logan says. She knows he doesn't mean tonight. He kisses his son's head and it's such a tender moment, even when the baby starts crying that she feels like she's intruding. Logan looks back at her, his lip quivering. She hasn't seen him cry in a very long time. "I swear, whatever it takes, I want to be closer to him."

She knows that he will try, but she also knows that it's going to take some time. Maybe one day, she'll understand everything that's going on with the Huntzberger family, but right now is dedicated to the newest addition to their families.

Rory moves toward Logan, moving her arms up to wrap him in a gentle hug. Even with the crying baby, it's a tender moment that she doesn't know is going to happen again for a while. Logan embraces the hug gently for several minutes before he finally breaks away. He passes their son to her and a look of understanding and love passes through them. Logan leans to her and kisses her on the cheek softly. Their new dynamic will take a lot of time to get used to, but it's for the best. She knows it's for the best.

He smiles sadly as he moves toward the door.

"Logan, wait," she tells him. He turns back, pausing at the doorway. "I think I have a name for him." She says it, and Logan smiles for the first time in that conversation, and it really is a moment to be cherished.

"I love it," he tells her. He moves his hands out in two L shapes, taking his mental picture of the two of them. All she can do is smile sadly as he finally leaves.

.-.

Lorelai drives Rory and the baby back to the Gilmore House to unpack some things. Rory is quite aware that the town has some sort of "surprise" welcome home baby celebration, even if they had tried to hide it. Lane texts her about it so neither of them get overwhelmed. She's even warned her about Kirk and his extravagant performance for the baby. Rory plans to leave before that happens.

"I tried to talk them out of it because you'll be exhausted, but they have chairs set up and everything," Lorelai explains. Rory's not surprised about it. They've always been overly invested in every major event that happens. Rory's happy to share the joy, even if it's just for an hour. She knows people are excited to meet the newest member of the Stars Hollow population.

"It's ok, Mom, really. I'm sure this one will be happy to see people," Rory says with the crying baby. She's gently rocking him in her arms as she opens the door to his new room. It's an addition to the house that Luke helps to provide for the family. Rory promises her staying is only temporary until she makes the next step in her life, but Lorelai's more than happy to accommodate for her daughter and grandson. The room is right beside Rory's room and it is beautifully built.

The room is exactly how she wants it. The green wall colour is something that takes her a bit of time to decide on, but she's happy that she goes with it. It provides an immediate sense of calm, with everything organized perfectly within it.

"This is your room, buddy," her mom coos to him. Baby is still crying, but it's slowing down. She had fed him right before she left the hospital so he should be good for another hour. Her mom scoops him out of her arms as she walks around the room, pointing to the various objects.

"And this is a picture of me and your granddaddy. Yes, he's going to be called granddaddy and he's going to hate it," her mom says in her baby voice and Rory holds back a laugh. She knows Luke will hate that. "And your other grandpa, who we will lovingly refer to as Gramps, is going to be at the party tonight. Yes he is, and he's going to love you. You see, he just got back from a magical place called Paris. He came all the way to see you and your mom."

Rory smiles at the mention of her father. She cannot wait to see his expression on his face. If anyone was more excited about being a grandparent than her mom, it was her dad. It's a nice change, because she expected him to be less excited.

"Mom," she calls to her mother. She doesn't look up at first, her focus solely on the baby in her arms. "Mom!" she calls louder and she finally looks up.

"Right, we need to get ready. People are waiting for us," she says. She passes Baby back to Rory, who sets him on the bassinett to change him. Her mom's there to help teach her and she's forever grateful for it. A few minutes later, Baby looks ready to go. Her mom has him in her arms as she goes to take a shower. The last thing she needs is to go to the party with her dirty hair and sweaty body.

When she's ready and changed, she makes her way toward the baby's room when she hears a soft voice. She knows that it's her mom and she makes her way over, standing in the doorway. She sees her mom with the half asleep newborn, singing softly to him. Her voice may be off key, but he seems to not care as he stares up at his grandmother before his eyes drift closed. It's a moment that makes Rory feel emotional. This is what she has pictured. It's such a perfect moment to see her son with her mother. She gets out her phone to take a picture, wanting it to last.

Her mom doesn't notice Rory's presence until she gets up.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asks. Rory's smile just grows wider.

"Long enough," she tells her. She waves her phone, which goes off.

"That's Luke. Kirk almost destroyed the cake so we better get going," Rory explains. Her mom nods as she passes her grandson to her daughter. He makes a small noise but he doesn't wake.

"Yeah, we better get going so Baby can meet the crazy that'll be in his life soon enough," her mom says as she moves to the door. That reminds Rory and her smile widens even further. She's pretty sure if her smile widens even further, it'll be ripped from her face.

"Oh, Mom. Logan and I decided on a name," she says. If anyone should hear the good news, it's Lorelai Gilmore. Her mom reacts appropriately, turning to her daughter. She hasn't seen her mom this joyous since her wedding.

"Oh, tell me! I can't wait to hear it. It's not Lorelai, is it?" her mom jokes. Rory laughs and shakes her head. She knows her grandmother would stick to her word that she threatened.

"No," she says as she takes a breath as she looks at her baby. "Meet Charles Sterling Gilmore-Huntzberger," she announces proudly. Her mom's eyes widen but the smile never drops from her face.

"Charles Sterling," she murmurs. "It's a good strong name."

"I know that you and grandma would have wanted him to be named Richard somehow and I really wanted it to, but I just couldn't see him as a Richard or Rich or Ricky or even Dick," Rory explains. Her mom's eyes show that she understands. "So I thought Charles is a good old fashioned name but with plenty of nickname opportunities, like Charlie or Chuck, after Grandpa's favourite singer," she explains. She watches as her mom's expression changes as she realizes the true significance and she's already tearing up.

"Oh, your grandfather would have loved it. He would be so proud," she tells her. Rory nods as she shift Charles in her arms. She's secretly grateful for Jess for helping her, even if it had been completely unintentional. He always did know her best, besides her mom "And Sterling?"

"Well, Logan wanted somewhat of a unique name and he actually picked this one ages ago. He actually got into meanings of names a little while ago because of a client, and he found out that his name actually means small hollow," Rory explains. She looks down at the little baby in her arms. "And so he searched for a possible name for this little guy and you know what his name means in Old English?" Her mom shakes her head as Rory looks up, tears brimming her own eyes. "Little star."

It takes her mom a few seconds to put two and two together but once she does, she actually lets out a sob. "It's perfect, Rory. It's absolutely perfect," she tells her and she really means it. Her mom bends down to kiss Charles on the top of his head.

She can't help but pause, looking at him for a moment. He looks peaceful and happy. This a moment worth cherishing. She's a mom now. Oh, she's a mom. Rory realizes it as she cries for what seems to be the millionth time in two days. She feels her mom's arm wrap around her shoulder as she's pulled in. "I'm a mom, Mom," she whispers. Her mom can only nod and kiss her on the top of the head as they just stand there for several moments.

"Well, let's go before we never leave. We can get in and out," her mom says. Rory nods as she leads the way out the door, before they leave, Rory turns back with Charles in her arms, his eyes still shut.

"Welcome to the world, Baby," she whispers.

.-.

A/N: So, it's clearly been a while since I've written anything on here. I'd like to think that my writing has gotten better. This is also my first Gilmore Girls fic, so it's my first time writing any of these characters. I hope that I did them justice!


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